Best way to europe . (1 Viewer)

[leann53]

Happy New year everyone. Planning doing France Spain Portugal around April . We live NW Scotland Dumfries area . Question is where do we sail from? Hull to Holland or the long drive down to the south many thank,s for your thought,s .

 

[pappajohn]

From past experience Hull Zeebrugge is a very expensive crossing.
From memory it was £500+ twenty odd years ago.....two of us in a car.

 

[Figaro]

Hull to Holland still leaves you a long drive, just in a different counrty.
I'd compare prices, look at routes, stopovers, places of interest to visit etc then decide based on that.
I usually try and visit some places in south of England on the way to tunnel.
It was Sissinghurst this year, Chartwell is on the agenda for next visit

 

[Soycd]

Prepare to be inundated with responses! I reckon if you can provide a bit more info (how long away, type of vehicle, pet owner?, kids?, etc, etc.) then the good folk on here will provide a wealth of info. As couple in a PVC I'd be tempted with Hull-Rotterdam having used it many times. But as we now live on south coast of England we always use tunnel and Tesco Clubcard points. Happy travels.

 

[Sapper520]

Harwich to Hoek?

Do the long trip to Plymouth straight to Northern Spain, down to Portugal and work your way back to Northern France?

We’ve done Santander, Bilbao, Hoek, Calais, Tunnel, Caen, Le Havre, Saint-Malo, Cherbourg, Roscoff…….they’ve all been good for what we had planned.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Mikeco]

Probably nearer to go to Ireland and sail from Rosslare direct to Spain.

 

[leann53]

ThankThank you everyone, we are a retired couple with a 7 mtr motorhome no pet,s . We would like to visit the war cemeteries to pay are respect,s . Then on down to Bordeaux, Spain Portugal maybe then up the South of Spain into Italy . Then heading back through Germany Luxembourg Belgium we have the full 90 day,s for are trip . All help hint,s most appreciated.

 

[dunnah01]

Irish Ferries Dover Calais for cost or Eurotunnel for convenience

 

[rosalan]

I love your rather ambitious journey but seriously feel that if you halved your itinary, you would return home with a basketful of experiences, rather than a sketchy outline. We try to take as long as France (Europe) allow, 3 months but a race to Estremadura, then time exploring before a fairly short visit to Portugal and Andalusia, followed by a couple of stopovers and its time to head for home.

 

[leann53]

Thank you Rosalan , this will be are lst European tour so will be totally flexible. Like you said it,s quality not quantity if we find it,s far to ambitious we will alter are plan,s accordingly. There,s always next time

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[stevewagner]

ThankThank you everyone, we are a retired couple with a 7 mtr motorhome no pet,s . We would like to visit the war cemeteries to pay are respect,s . Then on down to Bordeaux, Spain Portugal maybe then up the South of Spain into Italy . Then heading back through Germany Luxembourg Belgium we have the full 90 day,s for are trip . All help hint,s most appreciated.

If you are talking about WW2 cemeteries I would suggest Newhaven to Dieppe on DFDS ferries. If you call them and are over 60 you get a discount. From Dieppe it is an easy drive to Arromanche which would be a great starting point. They have aires/campsites and are well located for visits to many British and allied cemeteries, and lots of museums.

 

[suavecarve]

Thank you Rosalan , this will be are lst European tour so will be totally flexible. Like you said it,s quality not quantity if we find it,s far to ambitious we will alter are plan,s accordingly. There,s always next time

If it is your first of "many" trips to Europe you are overdoing it.
Dover area would be my exit point for your travels to see the war graves then either go down to Spain and Portugal and spend 10 weeks there and 2 weeks returning or chose a couple of areas of France.
Plan on moving when it is raining.

I would be forgetting Italy on this journey, and save it for your next journey, it will still be there.

Enjoy whatever you do

 

[Verteuil Man]

Portsmouth to Caen. Take in the many memorials and the new D Day memorial near Caen. Relaxing drive down the west coast taking in the many Chateaux of the Loire-Atlantique down through Bordeaux. That's the first couple of weeks done. Keep heading south into Spain then vere right to Portugal loop around then back up the east side. To do all this properly and see things 8s at least a 5 year mission. The best part is planning.

 

[leann53]

Thank you everyone have definitely decided to curtail are journey to ambitious. Just going to go with the flow so to speak . Would like to think we can do a taste of France Northen Spain and a week or two in Portugal your advice is much appreciated

 

[Mike800966]

Depends if you want to take in the Dunkirk area or the D Day stuff . They aren't that far apart but could influence the choice of crossing. From where you are I might suggest the Portsmouth Caen BF Route. Not the cheapest but gives you the chance to see sword beach and arromanche etc. Easy to move west into Brittany or go on sth into France.
Enjoy the trip
Mike and Ann

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[suavecarve]

Depends if you want to take in the Dunkirk area or the D Day stuff . They aren't that far apart but could influence the choice of crossing. From where you are I might suggest the Portsmouth Caen BF Route. Not the cheapest but gives you the chance to see sword beach and arromanche etc. Easy to move west into Brittany or go on sth into France.
Enjoy the trip
Mike and Ann

One way over (Caen) and one way back (Dover) would enable Arras and the Somme areas as well.

 

[Verteuil Man]

One way over (Caen) and one way back (Dover) would enable Arras and the Somme areas as well.

Verdun is a very good visit.

 

[EuroTrotters]

From past experience Hull Zeebrugge is a very expensive crossing.
From memory it was £500+ twenty odd years ago.....two of us in a car.

Route has closed now

 

[WillH]

We live in SW Scotland and regularly use the tunnel and travel all over France. It's a 500 trip to Folkestone but more convenient than using the ferries.

 

[Tombola]

We did the hull to Rotterdam 3 months ago and found it a better drive through those countries rather then being stuck on the coned off M6 to the tunnel from Manchester way.
Overnight ferry so refreshed anyway, stopped over in holland, then on through belgium luxembourg, switzerland and did the route the "other way" round.
like you say we always go with the flow, mostly not even have any sites booked.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tribute615]

I would do the DFDS Newhaven -Dieppe and ring for discount (i'm going that way this May £160 return ) take a couple of days to go down and the trip won't seem as bad. (I'm a member of the Caravan and Camping club so use their temporary holiday sites on the way down). Went that way and then down as far as Bordeaux in 2018 but didn't do the ww2 sites (have done them in the past ) ,have a look at the blog which will give you a few stops on the way to Bordeaux and a few more on the Caramaps trip , can't help with Spain or Portugal but there's also blogs on Belgium, bit of Germany (mainly Mosel ) and Luxembourg.

more Blogs | My Motorhome Travels

www.rebbyvid.co.uk

Caramaps - Annuaire de Campings, Aires de service, Accueil à la ferme.

Découvrez le premier outil destiné au voyage en camping-car. Profitez des bonnes adresses des accueillants CaraMaps : particulier, agriculteur, fermier...

www.caramaps.com

 

[rosalan]

There is so much to see and discover on your route, we like to allow about a week each way crossing France or more to explore places of interest. without too much effort or sightseeing and another three or four days should get you into Portugal. Based on experience, the apps CamperContact or Park4night will help you find good places to stop over night. There are many other such apps.

 

[vzac]

We have been to Europe and particularly France many, many many many times ( a lot) I hate Dover did I say I hate Dover. Yes it's usually the cheapest, but cheapest is not always the best. I prefer Portsmouth, Poole or Harwich. Did I say I dislike Dover and equally the M25 carpark.
Just my opinion, oh and going to Dieppe or le Harve, caen etc there are less tolls on the Rds that way. Calais you are tolled almost straight away unless you use the tiny Rds.

 

[nicholsong]

From where you are in Dunfries why not take the short crossing to NI then drive down to Dublin or Rosslare for the ferry to Cherbourg? The trip through Ireland may be nicer than the UK M/ways to English S. coast ports.

That is my plan when we do our Grand Tour of Europe from Poland-Norway-Scotland and then what you want to do, France-Spain-Portugal.

Ireland does not cut into your 90 days in Schengen, because although EU it is not in Schengen..

 

[leann53]

Thank you again everyone, as we have now retired we are going to visit family in Liverpool to break up the run South . Tunnel ferries which ferries I thought Retirement was supposed to be stress free Anyway yet again you lovely people have given me so many options. Next what do we need Insurance breakdown cover equipment ? it,s all here on motorhome fun worth every penny. Much better than watching telly . Safe travels to you all .

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Stealaway]

Next what do we need Insurance breakdown cover equipment ? it,s all here on motorhome fun worth every penny.

Check out Comfort Insurance and tag on European breakdown cover for an extra £65

 

[Suenliam]

We too live in Dumfries and go to France for about 5 weeks twice a year. Our favoured crossing is Portsmouth/Caen. As we have plenty of time, we stop about Oxford for a night to break the journey outward and about Manchester homeward. We definitely don't want a driving holiday but do take time to enjoy the journey. If you really want to see France and remember it is a huge country with lots of difference styled towns and villages don't just travel down the autoroute and main N roads. Last autumn we just "did" the Loire valley between Gennes and Loches and 5 weeks was just about right. We stayed a max of about 4 nights at each campsite (we don't do aires) and felt we had about the right time to get to know the area having always, in the past, just had a few nights there on the way south.
We always book ferries, but have only in 30 odd years booked a campsite when we wanted a particular pitch. Going in spring and autumn there are always spaces.
Sorry can't offer advice on Spain as we only once had enough time to get there for a Santander ferry home. Too busy exploring France
Medical insurance without a doubt and breakdown insurance. If you have breakdown ins. for here then it can probably be extended to cover abroad. Not much different equipment needed with the possible exception of the "continental" hookup lead if you intend using small French sites - particularly the municipal ones. Use the search facility if you are unsure.
What ever you do enjoy the trip.
Sue
P.S. I plan to the nth degree and then ditch all the plans somewhere over the Channel

 

[David and Sally]

Probably nearer to go to Ireland and sail from Rosslare direct to Spain.

I was thinking that

 

[mapman]

Having used Hull - Zeebrugge for many years we were disappointed when it was withdrawn. However never liked the trek down to Dover so looked at Rotterdam. West Yorkshire Hull Rotterdam Montpelier which turns out to be a shorter distance then WY Dover Calais to Montpelier. This was the route we used in September. It worked well.

 

[TONCAZ]

ThankThank you everyone, we are a retired couple with a 7 mtr motorhome no pet,s . We would like to visit the war cemeteries to pay are respect,s . Then on down to Bordeaux, Spain Portugal maybe then up the South of Spain into Italy . Then heading back through Germany Luxembourg Belgium we have the full 90 day,s for are trip . All help hint,s most appreciated.

If you want to visit war cemeteries, Dover tunnel or ferry jump on A16 and drive down west coast onto the Somme, after that Rouen Saumer Poitiers Bordeaux into Spain at Irun,